


A Ghostly Christmas Present

by AtropaSilentium



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Christmas Presents, Gen, Mental Instability, Sadness to Anger, The rest are mentions, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Vlad is the only character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 10:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19004146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtropaSilentium/pseuds/AtropaSilentium
Summary: When Vlad can't fall asleep the night before Christmas, he ends up opening his presents early, but what happens when he finds a mysterious present that he doesn't remember receiving?





	A Ghostly Christmas Present

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for the Danny Phantom fandom so I hope you all like it. If you're wondering why it has a Christmas theme, I had started writing this in December, but couldn't post it until now.

Vlad leaned against the solid marble countertop in his large kitchen, listening to the dull buzz of the coffee pot. Still clad in black silk pajamas with his long silver hair hanging messily over his shoulders, he looked nothing like the image of perfection that the world had come to recognize from television and news articles. 3:46 AM was far too early for him to start his day, but he hadn't been left with much of a choice.

From the moment his head hit his pillow, intrusive thoughts seeped their way into his mind, shattering his calm facade. Insecurities and regrets swam through his head, sucking him into a whirlpool of inner discord. The only options were to continue drowning in his own thoughts, or to get up and hope he'd find an activity that was interesting enough to keep him busy.

Fortunately, his exhausted, sleep deprived state wasn't anything that some coffee couldn't fix—or at least alleviate for a few hours until the caffeine crash hit. That simple goal kept him distracted from the goading voice inside his head as he watched the water boil in an almost trance-like state, staring intently at the little coffee pot. When it was finally ready to drink, he leisurely poured it into his favorite mug.

A few dark drops splashed over the mug's rim onto the white marble surface as he lifted it to his lips to take an eager taste. The strong scent hit him at the same time as the bitter flavor did, giving him a wake up push. Vlad felt full appreciation for the hot beverage as it filled his stomach and provided him with much needed energy. With his mind clearer from the caffeine intake, he headed towards his next destination.

Vlad walked through various small halls that connected to the various rooms in his large Wisconsin castle until he came to a particularly large sitting room. The sight at the center of the sitting room was lovely, though over the course of the past few weeks, its beauty had started to fade due to him becoming too accustomed to it. A giant Christmas tree reached up towards the ceiling, its fake white branches decorated with authentic gold, silver, and diamond encrusted ornaments.

The tree's aesthetic was a testament to his wealth more than his personal taste. After all, there wasn't any reason to put much effort into decorating the tree when the only people who would be in his home long enough to admire it were his high profile business associates, and occasionally the cleaning crew he hired every few days. What was the point in putting your heart and soul into the design if no one was around to appreciate it?

For a moment he wondered what the Fenton family Christmas tree looked like. Had Maddie taken the initiative to put it up herself, or had the whole family made an activity of it? Were Daniel and Jasmine too old now to care about that sort of thing? Despite all his research and spying on the family, there was so much he still didn't know about them, and that bothered him more than he thought it would. He had dedicated so much of his life to the Fentons, with all of his plans revolving around them in some way, yet he was as good as a stranger to them.

If it wasn't for him constantly showing up at Amity Park to cause trouble, they would probably go back to ignoring him the way they had done before the Reunion. The idea that he was still so far from his dream of acquiring the perfect, happy family was upsetting, to say the least. It seemed like no matter what he tried, he just couldn't figure out how to get closer to the people he cared for.

It fueled a bitter rage inside him knowing that _Jack Fenton_ of all people had managed to gain everything he himself didn't have. The worst part was that the man didn’t even have to put in much effort. Happiness just naturally gravitated towards the idiot ghost hunter despite the fact he was an absolute imbecile. Vlad's blue eyes flashed red as he debated going over to their house right then and there to finish his former best friend off. Jack more than deserved it for the sins he had committed, and his family would be much better off without him—safer too.

The thought was short lived as he discarded it from his mind. In the end, even a self proclaimed villain such as himself couldn't find it in his heart to jeopardize Maddie and her children's happy Christmas. “They would hold it against me if I disrupted the peace now,” he mumbled to himself, clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to calm his anger.

With a long sigh, he let his eyes drift to the bottom of the tree. It was all but devoid of presents, making him feel quite pitiful. He was Vlad Masters for crying out loud! A man such as himself should have people swarming him with affection, offering up gifts like a sacrifice to some honored deity. A wealthy, powerful, influential man such as himself shouldn't have to try to so hard just to receive mere _scraps_ of affection. Yet, he did, and for all his efforts, he received _nothing_. Just the bare minimum recognition.

The irony would be laughable if only it didn't make him want to crawl into a ball and cry like a neglected infant. An array of negative emotions constricted his chest as he sat down by the tree, reaching for the closest present. The box was wrapped in solid red paper with a shiny, gold ribbon. His secretary's name was neatly scrawled on the tag where the gifter's name belonged. Vlad unwrapped it with practiced delicacy, admiring the effort put into tying the ribbon with such perfection.

The inside revealed a clear glass bottle with amber colored cologne. He recognized the famous brand right away, recalling its usual cost. The brand was amongst those found in a cheaper price range than the more expensive ones he usually wore, but it was obvious that his secretary had put a decent amount of effort into picking a gift that she thought he'd appreciate. Still, as nice as the gesture was, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling that told him the ambitious women picked it out with a raise in mind.

His secretary was a hard worker, well deserving of every penny he had to offer her, and then some. Judging by her prideful air and the occasional hints she sent his way, she knew it too. He pushed the fancy glass bottle aside, debating giving the woman what she wanted sometime in the near future. In the very least, he'd have to give her a “Thank You” card.

The next gift sent a spark of giddy anticipation up his spine as he grabbed it. The Fenton Family had sent it by mail, the package arriving dangerously close to the holiday cut off date. Luckily, it had arrived the day before Christmas Eve, much to Vlad's delight. It was wrapped sloppier than the last gift, with snowman themed paper unevenly folded on each side, making him wonder if Maddie wasn't the one who wrapped it.

Contrary to the sporadic state she seemed to exhibit around her husband, the woman had always been a neat and organized person by nature. Since Jasmine appeared to take after her mother in that fashion, that left only Jack and Daniel. Vlad could not picture Daniel being too eager to help with his present, narrowing the possibility down to the boy's father. At that realization, part of Vlad wanted to toss the gift into the fireplace, letting it burn until every trace of the man's touch on its surface vanished.

The other part of him held himself back, reminding himself that it was from _all_ of the Fentons. This was the first time he had ever received something from Maddie and her children. He'd be a fool to dispose of the only thing they'd ever given him. With a gentle affection Vlad rarely showed, he opened the gift as though It is the most precious thing in the entire world. It turned out to be one of those generic facial hair care sets that stores usually sell around the holidays.

At first glance, it was all too obvious that they put far less thought and money into their gift than his secretary had with hers. Even so, a surge of happiness consumed Vlad as he traced his fingers over the thin plastic package. It may not have been a well thought out gift, but it was a gift given to him without any ulterior motives. They gave it to him out of the kindness in their hearts, because that was the kind of thing people did for each other around the holidays. It was such a normal act of affection. An act of affection usually performed between people who genuinely cared about one another.

"It would be good if they like what i sent them." Vlad imagined them opening his gifts with bright, honest smiles on their faces and felt his own lips turn upwards.

Reluctantly, he placed the razor set down next to the cologne, and reached for the last gift with much less enthusiasm. He already knew what the present contained since he had purchased it for himself a month earlier so that he'd still have something to open in case he didn't get any gifts from other people again this year. Before his fingers reached the sparkly white gift bag, he noticed an unfamiliar splotch of color in his peripheral vision, hiding at the very back of the tree.

He rose from his spot on the floor with a sense of curiosity, circling around to the mystery item. Confused eyes landed on a small box wrapped in neon green paper with a round, black bow taped on top. As far as he knew, he hadn't received such a gift from anyone, and yet there it was under his tree. The whole situation struck him as quite odd. Perhaps, his lackey Skulker had decided to be generous?

A closer glance at the present only served to leave him more curious than before. Something about the color scheme seemed so familiar, he just couldn't figure out why. Vlad plucked it from its spot underneath the tree, and turned it around in his hand, searching for a clue about its origin. A breath caught in his throat as he spotted the nametag, and read over the name. The nickname _“Phantom”_ could be read clear as day.

"I must be going mad from a lack of rest." There was _no way_ he was seeing what he thought he was.

Out of all the people who could have left him a surprise gift, there was no reason for Daniel to have been the one to do it, especially not when his family had already sent a combined gift. As he analyzed the package further, confirming that it was in fact real, and not a hallucination, his initial disbelief turned to wonder.

With a racing heart, he tore open the wrapping paper and pried off the cardboard gift-box's lid, eager to view the contents inside. If receiving a present from the other half ghost had come as a surprise, the two items it contained were cause for even greater shock. The first item was a Christmas tree ornament for his favorite sports team, The Packers. Their mascot adorned the front of the green and gold ball, taking up a large portion of its shiny surface.

The second object proved to be quite an unusual one for a Christmas gift, but it ended up being the one that drew Vlad's attention the most, earning a heartfelt chuckle from the wealthy man. The tiny, chestnut sized figurine was clearly designed as a Halloween decoration, albeit one a bit too cheesy to be scary. It was a little ghost dressed up as a vampire, with fangs protruding from its mouth, and a red cape draped over its back. Vlad traced his thumb over the collectable figurine, amused by Daniel's choice in a present.

“These are thoughtful gifts indeed,” he said, a large smile conquering his features. “I wouldn't have guessed that he would go through so much effort for my sake.”

Out of everyone in the world, the one who knew him best turned out to be his enemy. Not that he had ever wanted to be the boy's enemy. That was just the way things turned out when Daniel refused his many offers to become his pupil. It made him wonder what life could be like if they didn't fight all the time. Could they be friends after all that had happened between them? Was Daniel's gift to him the boy's way of saying that he _wanted_ them to be friends?

A small note at the bottom of the box caught his attention, making his brain pause in its inner ramblings. The words written there gave him the answers to his questions in an unintentionally cruel way. _“Merry Christmas, Fruitloop! Let's enjoy the truce while it lasts.”_ was written in bright green marker across the note's surface. _Of course!_ That explained everything. Daniel was only being so nice to him because of the temporary truce that all ghosts participated in every year on Christmas.

That made far more sense than the boy suddenly taking a liking to him. It was a perfectly reasonable, logical explanation. Logic, unfortunately, did not always stop people from experiencing unwanted feelings. It was too late for that as Vlad frowned down at the note, a painful pang taking up residence in his chest. As usual, he had set himself up for disappointment, putting too much faith in someone else.

In a moment of naïvety, he had almost convinced himself that a peaceful future between the two of them was within arms reach, if only he'd stretch his arms out and take hold of it. How could he have been so stupid to make such an assumption? The idea was nonsense, nothing more than pure wishful thinking. Vlad knew that. He knew that, and yet a tiny part of him still clung to that hope.

A part of him wanted to believe in Daniel's kindness. The type of innocent kindness that only genuine heros like the younger half ghost could give. The type that could allow him to be good to someone as messed up as Vlad. A warm tear slid down Vlad's cheek as he clutched the note in his hands, regretting ever opening the present in the first place.

The tear didn't fall far before anger quickly replaced his despair, and an overwhelming fiery aura trickled out of his core, evaporating the salty liquid. "Sometimes I think I'm an ever bigger fool than Jack."

Vlad released his hold on his powers, setting the paper aflame. The burnt pieces slid through his slender fingers onto the rug, leaving behind an ugly soot pile. His cold gaze fell to the floor, staring at the ashes with a sense of detachment, as though he wasn't the one responsible for creating them. Someone would have to vacuum that up later, but he had more important things to focus on at the moment.

He had a mission to accomplish, and he was going to get what he wanted even if he had to go through Hell—or unleash it—to do so. If he played his cards right, it wouldn't be much longer until his hard work paid off. He just needed a better scheme this time. Maddie and her children would give in eventually. He just needed to corner them into a scenario where they couldn't say no. 

 


End file.
